Sewer construction.



W. B. GRAY.

SEWER CONSTRUCTION. APPucMnoN men saw. 30. I914.

Patented Nov. 23, -1915.

7 lfI/VE/VTOR I v// /LL//i/w' 25. 6,6 2/ 5 26 -2 BY ATTORNEYS WILLIAMBEALL GRAY, 0F

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO MAB-TIN J. BANNON,

- 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

-SEWER CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915..

Application filed September 30, 1914. Serial No. 864,264.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM BEALL GRAY, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Louisville, in thecounty of J eflerson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Sewer Constructions, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention is an improvement in sewer constructions, and hasfor itsobject to provide a construction composed of individual units in theform of blocks or sections, wherein the blocks are so constructed andarranged that each block interlocks with all of the adjacent blocks toresist stress in any direction, but to especially resist crushingstress.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an archconstructed in accordance with the invention and with parts in section,Fig. 2.is a side view ofone of. the individual blocks, and Fig. 3 is. anend view showing a modified arrangement of web.

In the present embodiment of the invention the arch, whether a conduit,sewer or other construction, is composed of a plurality of series ofblocks, the members of one series differing from the members of theother series only in their transverse curvature.

The blocks are molded from plastic mate rial capable of hardening, asfor instance, clay, concrete, cement, or the like. Two series of blocksare used,the blocks 1 of one of the series each having at each side edge,a

. lateral extension 2, the said extensions be ing at the outer convexfaces of the blocks. Each of the extensions 2 is of approximately halfthe thickness of the body of the block, and each extension is providedin its inner face with a longitudinally extending groove 3, forming onthe said face at the outer edge of the extension a longitudinallyextending rib 4:- The outer side wall of each groove is undercut asindicated at 5, so that the inner wall of the rib is undercut. Eachblock 1 is cellular or chambered for the sake of economy, lightness, andventilation, this result being obtained in the present instance byproviding in the body a pair of longitudinally extending openings 6and'in each extension a longitudinally extendingopening 7, the saidopeningsextending the full length of the block. I

The blocks 8 of the other series have at and 8 are smooth and salt eachside edge and at the concave or inner face a laterally extendingextension 9, the said extension having a thlckness of approximatelyone-half that of the body. Each extenslon is grooved longitudinally onits outer face at the inner side thereof as indicated at 10, to form alongitudinally extending rib 11 at the outer side edge of the block, andthe outer wall of each groove is undercut as shown at 12. The blocks ofseries 8 are also cellular or chambered, this result being obtained byproviding longitudinally extending openings 13 in the body, and otheropenings 14 ln-the extensions. The inner and'outer faces of'the blocks 1lazed, to make the said surfaces water proof and to provide insulation.The side faces of the blocks 1 and 8' and the outer side edges of the extensions 2 and 9, as well as the bottom of the grooves 3 and 10 and theundercut side walls 5 and 12 of the said grooves are preferablyroughened or corrugated longitudinally in order to provide a better holdfor the cementitious material 15, which is arranged between the blocks.

It will be evident from the description that each block in the aboveconstruction extends from the inner surface of the arch entirely throughthe wall to the outer surface. The ends of the blocks 1 and 8 may beplane, that is, the said ends may be perpendicular to the side faces, orthe ends may be rabbeted as shown in Fig. 2. In this view each of theblocks 16 has the extensions 17 corresponding to the extensions 2 and 9of the blocks 1 and 8, and the extensions are grooved in the same manneras the extensions 2 and 9. At its ends each block 16 is rabbeted atopposite faces as indicated at 18 and 19, the

rabbets being; of such depth that the ends of adjacent ocks will lap toform a lock joint. Each of the blocks 1 and 8 is curved transversely onan arc of the circle upon which the arch is formed. In the blocks 1, thelateral extensions are at the convex face of the block, while in theblocks 8 the lateral extensions are at the concave face of the block.The width of the grooves 3 with relation to the width of the ribs 11depends upon whether or not a mortar lock is desired. If the mortar lockis desired, and this arrangement will permit the blocks to, be engageddirectly by moving them laterally instead of indirectly by moving themlongitudinally with respect to each other,

cross section of the grooves 3 correspond to the width and cross sectionof the grooves 10, and the same applies to the cross section of the ribs4 and 11. l

In the improved arch construction the joints between the blocks arepreferably broken, that is, the blocks are staggered with respect toeach other in order to break joints. The blocks are laid in courses, andthey are interlocked with each other,-by. movin them longitudinally withrespect to each ot er, or laterally.

In the improved construction, each block extends entirely through thewall of the conduit, being built, that is, each block extends from theinterior, of the conduit to the exterior. This arrangement permits abranch to be ut in in any single block at the factory. 1ft e branch islarge, it is obvious that two blocks would need to be cut away, andwebbed at the opening. If the opening is through a single block, theblock is webbed at the opening.

If desired the blocks may be strengthened or reinforced by 'anadditional web as shown in Fig. 3. In this construction the block 20 hasthe lateral extensions 21: In the present case, the extensions-are atthe inner or concave surface of the block, but it is obvious that in theother series the extensions would be at the outer or convex face. Eachextension is longitudinally grooved as shown at 22 to form the rib-23 atthe outer side edge of the extension, and the outer wall of the grooveis undercut as shown at 24.

It will be noticedthat thebody of the block is provided with a radialpartition 25,

- and with a circumferential partition 26 intersecting the radialpartition at the center of the body of the block. If the ends of theblock shown in Fig. 3 were rabbeted over half the thickness of theblock, the partition 26 would form a mortar bed. Were the rabbets offthe center, other partitions 27 would be provided at the rabbet, to formthe mortar bed. When a cylindrical construction is formed, theinterlocking connection between the blocks is such as to resist stressin every direction. -Both the material of the blocks and the mortar mustbe crushed before the bond, the shape or the size of the cylinder couldbe changed.

In my co-pending application, Serial No. 864,262 filed Sept. 30, 1914,the wall is double, being composed of an inner or a lining portion andan outer or facing portion,

and the inner or lining portion may be laid before the outer or facingportion is laid Each block of the inner or outer Wall interlocks withthe adjacent blocks of the said wall, and the blocks of the inner wallor portion interlock with the blocks of the outer wall or portion;

.In my co-pending application, Serial No. 864,263 filed Sept. 30, 1914,the wall is composed of a series of constructor blocks, which may befirst laid and a series of key or lock blocks which may be afterwardlaid and which interlock themselves with the constructor blocks andinterlock the constructor blocks with each other. Thus in the saidlast-named construction and in the construction forming thesubject-matter of the present application, there are blocks extendingentirely through the wall, while in the last-named ,application theblocks of the outer wall of each groove being under-cut to form'a rib atthe outer side thereof, and the ribs and rooves interengaging, eachgroove being 0 greater width at its narrowest point than the rib it isto receive at its widest point,-and mortar between-adjacent faces of theblocks to form a mortar lock.

1 WILLIAM BEALL' GRAY.

Witnesses:

HENRY M. WOLTRING, JAMES L. RANEY.

